Red Holiday OREO Cookie Balls

Ingredients

36 OREO cookies

8 oz package brick cream cheese, softened

12 oz white baking chocolate, melted

2 tsp red food coloring

sprinkles or icing, to decorate

Instructions

Make the cookie ball filling:

Pulse together the OREO cookies in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment until finely-crushed. Cut the softened cream cheese into tablespoon-sized pieces and add to the OREO crumbs, pulsing until smooth and completely combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes until chilled through.

Alternatively, place the OREOS in a plastic freezer bag, and use a rolling pin to finely crush into crumbs. Stir in the softened cream cheese until smooth and completely combined.

Shape into 48 (1-inch) balls. I like to use a small cookie scoop to scoop out uniform cookie balls, then use my hands to gently roll into smooth balls. Freeze for 10 minutes.

To coat and decorate:

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Set aside.

Melt the white chocolate in either a double-boiler over gently simmering water, or in a heat-proof glass bowl in the microwave. If using a microwave, heat in bursts of 30 seconds on medium power, stirring well and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula after each increment. Once the chocolate is completely melted and smooth, stir in the food coloring.

Dip the cookie balls in the melted chocolate, working with one cookie ball at a time. Use two forks or a candy dipping tool to roll each cookie ball in the chocolate until evenly coated. Let the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl, then transfer the chocolate-covered cookie balls to the prepared pan and let sit until the chocolate is set.

Drizzle with additional melted chocolate or decorate with icing as desired.

Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or until firm. Keep refrigerated.

Notes

You may substitute 16 oz vanilla candy wafers for the white baking chocolate. Melt as directed on the package, then stir in 1 Tbsp all-vegetable shortening until smooth. Stir in the food coloring. Dip the cookie balls in the candy coating, decorate, then refrigerate until serving.